title: The VEGF pathway in lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer is a disease whose prognosis has remained poor in the last decades. Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular pathways behind this disease have revealed several mediators of important tumor functions. One of these functions is angiogenesis, which is considered essential for tumor growth and propagation, and a key mediator promoting this process is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In lung cancer, VEGF plays a significant role in establishing a vascular supply within the tumor. Thus, a new class of drugs has emerged, targeting its pathway, which has offered substantial, albeit small, improvements in patient prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The VEGF pathway and its role in a multitude of different human cancers are presented at first. We then proceed by analyzing its importance in lung cancer and exploring the therapeutic benefits achieved by its targeting, which set new goals for the future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Today, the VEGF pathway remains an attractive target for anticancer treatment, and the way forward requires detection of predictive markers and efforts for a more complete angiogenic blockade.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Michalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alevizakos
authors.forename: Serafim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaltsas
authors.forename: Konstantinos N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Syrigos
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A